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ICE agent from Clifton pleads guilty to bribery
Gerardo Chavez, 46, of Clifton pleaded guilty Nov. 6 to two criminal counts charging him with receiving bribes as a public official and conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and money laundering. The plea was accepted by U.S. District Judge T.S. Ellis III.In a statement of facts filed with his plea agreement, Chavez acknowledged that from August 2003 to August 2007, while serving in Caracas, Venezuela on behalf of the United States government as a Supervisory Special Agent and Attaché for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and later as Deputy Assistant Director, International Operations at ICE headquarters in Washington, D.C., he steered $2.8 million in U.S. government contracts to a company in Caracas. The contracts were for the purchase and armoring of 4-wheel drive vehicles to be used by U.S. law enforcement and government personnel throughout the South America and Caribbean region.
Chavez received kickbacks totaling $172,000 from the owner of the company, with another $87,000 anticipated from the scheme before U.S. government law enforcement agents uncovered it.
Sentencing has been set for Feb. 13, 2009. Chavez faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
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